Family and friends of Anita Gay, the 51 year old grandmother gunned down by the Berkeley Police on February 16, held a 2 hour street rally at the corner of Ashby and Martin Luther King Drive in Berkeley to draw attention to the epidemic of police murders in the East Bay.

Community members joined organizers from Justice for Anita! Justice for All! passing out hundreds of informational flyers to patrons of the Ashby BART flea market and cars stopping at the light. Oakland Police Department has already killed six people this year indicating that these are not just isolated incidence but a pattern of violence that appears to be condoned in both the Oakland and Berkeley Police Departments.

Officer Rashawan Cummings has been cleared in the murder of Anita Gay and is back on the streets. While the Berkeley Police Commission drags its feet in the investigation of Anita Gay's murder, there has been no admission of guilt on the part of Berkeley Police Department. The lone officer who failed to secure the situation, violated department policy and shot a 51-year old woman in the back has been returned to active duty,

On July 19th, Oakland resident Lesley Xavier Allen was shot and killed by Oakland police. On July 25th Oakland officer Hector Jimenez shot and killed unarmed, 27 yr old Mac "Jody" Woodfox in the back. This is the same officer who shot and killed another unarmed youth, Andrew Moppin eight months earlier. People are asking the question why is lethal force the answer to every situation?

Today's event was organized by the Justice for Anita! Justice for All! Coalition that includes family members, Cop Watch, Critical Resistence and the ANSWER Coalition and was widely covered by Bay Area TV stations.